1. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with the cooking of slabs of meat such as steaks, hamburgers, fish filets and the like on a grill. More particularly the invention is concerned with a unique and particular apparatus which allows such cooking to be accomplished in a much reduced time yet which allows the grill and the apparatus itself to be easily and quickly cleaned.
2. Prior Art
The prior art shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,411,345 discloses the use of weighted heat conductive members with posts or the like extending from one side thereof for use in skillets to keep bacon or the like flat and to prevent its crinkling. The prior art as shown for example in any of U.S. Pat. Nos. 267,536; 1,790,194; 1,915,962 and 3,736,859 teaches the use of hinged and at times heated upper and lower members such as the top and bottom of a waffle iron for cooking purposes.
The prior art has not however been concerned with providing an apparatus or process particularly adapted to providing very fast cooking of hamburgers and the like in a commercial high volume restaurant. In particular, the apparatus of the prior art is in no way concerned with quick cooking of frozen slabs of meat in short periods of time without shattering the slabs while they are still frozen. Still more particularly the prior art has not been concerned with the providing of an apparatus which would accomplish fast cooking in such an establishment while still retaining sufficient liquids in the meats cooked thereby. Yet further, the prior art has not been concerned with providing an apparatus for use in such establishments wherein the apparatus itself can be readily and quickly removed from a grill whereby an operator can turn meat slabs and whereby the grill with which it is used can be readily greased quickly and/or cleaned. The apparatus of the present invention on the other hand is designed to specifically provide all these necessary functions for high volume cooking of originally frozen hamburgers and the like. The prior art has also not been concerned with providing an apparatus or process from which slabs of meat can be ejected from spikes with concurrent cleaning of the spikes in a fast manner, thus assuring that the apparatus and process can be carried out without significant down-time for special cleaning thereof.